6 Simple Anti-Cancer Nutrition Tips

In terms of food, it is always good to remember the fundamentals, scientific headlines advise of anti-cancer diets. This is your wakeup call.

While there is no miracle food to cure cancer as it is, scientific evidence of the importance of a healthy diet for cancer prevention is not lacking. According to WCRF International, an international cancer research fund, foods have a direct and indirect impact in the fight against the development of cancers. Direct, because the vitamins and minerals contained in certain foods show interesting anti-cancer virtues. And indirect because diet is an essential factor in regulating one's weight, and the chances of developing cancer are increased for people who are overweight or obese.

The second report WCRF International, released in 2007 was the result of six years of research and assessment of more than 7 000 scientific studies selected from nearly 500 000 publications. According to experts, overweightedness and cancer are linked. In particular, a person whose body mass index (BMI) is too high would be more likely to develop cancer of the pancreas, esophagus, gall bladder or colon in particular. Faced with this, the international cancer research fund published a series of food recommendations.

For WCRF, the key to healthy eating is proportionality. First, it is essential to eat in reasonable quantities. But above all, it is necessary to know which foods to put on your plate. For example, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes must make up at least two-thirds of the meal. Rich in fiber and low in calories, they are essential for a balanced diet. In this article, we present you some other useful tips to prevent cancer.

1. Seven fruits and vegetables a day

According to a British study published in March in the medical journal Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, to get real health benefits from fruits and vegetables, 7 servings a day would be the ideal ratio, and not 5 as previously thought. As for cancer, adopt a preventive diet. Green vegetables, whole grain legumes and citrus fruits guard against colon cancer. Non-starchy vegetables for cancers of the mouth, stomach or oesophagus. And foods rich in lycopene like tomato guard against prostate cancer.

2. Limit animal protein

Without abandoning them completely, it is good to limit the intake of animal protein. In addition to having a very heavy environmental impact, excessive consumption of meat is not good for the health. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), weekly consumption of more than 500 g of red meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, this could be related not only to the method of cooking meat, but also to the heme iron contained in large quantities in red meat. It could promote the growth of cells and nitrosamines, chemical compounds that are conducive to the development of cancer. Therefore, favor vegetable proteins, such as tofu, soya beans or tempeh. Above all, processed, smoked or salted meats such as bacon or sausages are avoided, often stuffed with potentially carcinogenic preservatives.

3. Focus on fish, poultry and lean meats

For large carnivores that have difficulty in removing animal protein from their diet, there are healthier alternatives. The main thing is to limit the consumption of red meat and cold cuts. Turn to poultry or lean meats, and fish is which excellent for health. To fill up with trace elements, we choose fatty fish. And to avoid heavy metals choose small fish like sardines or mackerel. In any case, limits the intake of protein to a hundred grams per meal, leaving the emphasis on plants.

4. Do not skimp on spices

Action anti-infectious, antioxidant, antiseptic… to enjoy all the health benefits of spices, we alternately happily turmeric, ginger, cloves and consorts! In addition to bringing flavor to your dishes, spices are gold mine nutritionally. The same goes for aromatic herbs that are valuable health allies. To vary the pleasures, cook with organic vegetable oils. Olive, rapeseed, sesame or walnut oil alternated with butter or margarine.

5. Avoid sugary drinks

Contrary to what one might think, sodas are not the only sugary drinks to banish. Commercial juices, may look healthier but are not, with excessive sugar levels. Indeed, most juices from the supermarket are extremely rich in sugar and bad for health. Therefore, favor juices without added sugars or organic green tea and obviously, drink a lot of water!

6. Prohibit over-salty foods and processed foods

Generally, commercial dishes overflow with sugars and added fats and represent too large portions. They are too rich in energy. In addition, their manufacture almost always involves the addition of food additives, some of which are known to be dangerous. If the health authorities determine acceptable daily doses for these additives, they do not take into account the cocktail effect, the accumulation of compounds. According to the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP), it is currently impossible to guarantee that the approximately 300 food additives authorized in the US are safe. In the same way, we prefer organic products or from a reasoned agriculture to best limit its exposure to pesticides and other toxic products, dangerous for health.